Ravaged by graduation after last season, the Lady Bulldogs (10-1-1) continued their sizzling start to 2018 with a 2-1 win Thursday at Glenbard East.

“It’s been going well,” said talented Batavia sophomore Grace Salyers. Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match put her team ahead for good with her goal 12 minutes into the second half. “Me being a newcomer to the team, it’s meant a lot because there weren’t that many returners. So it was a whole new fresh team.

“Coming together we had to quickly create bonds, create how we wanted to play, and I think the seniors really helped us create our chemistry.”

Gracey DiBiase, Anna Rakos, Anna Brost and goalkeeper Katelyn Turnquist are the only seniors for Batavia, which is ranked no. 15 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. They followed a much larger Class of 2017.

“We lost 11 seniors, so it’s almost a whole new team,” said Batavia junior Zaira Solis, whose goal with 10:08 left turned out to be the difference after a strong late rally by the Rams.

The likelihood of a close final score seemed unlikely with 7:11 left. With Batavia already up 2-0, Salyers was tripped on a burst into the box to produce a Lady Bulldogs penalty kick.

But DiBiase’s PK clanged off the crossbar, the rebound was cleared by the Rams' Amy Chiero and Ali Liljestrand, and a would-be 3-0 lead evolved into a battle to the end.

“It would have been over if we hit that PK, but that happens sometimes,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “It wouldn’t have been as hairy there at the end if we’d put that away.”

The hairiness culminated with 4:57 to go. Off a Liljestrand corner kick, Glenbard East freshman Maddie Weltin intercepted an attempt to clear the box and drove a 15-yarder inside the left post.

“As a freshman she has a ton of poise,” Rams coach Kent Overbey said. “She finds herself in the right place. We use her in the midfield, at attacking mid, up-top, and she kind of shifts seamlessly between those roles.

“The ball popped to her, and she got on the end of it as we tried to grind and get things to bounce our way. We had good pressure but unfortunately couldn’t get another one.”

That pressure included another Weltin 18-yard shot on goal with 3:45 left, and offside calls in the 77th minute on a 38-yard Katie Hansen free kick and Elizabeth Toledo chip to the box.

Then in the final 40 seconds, a partial clear of a 15-yard Rams throw-in by Batavia’s Jenna Nichols was followed by an Amy Ten Haken block and Solis send into the midfield to seal the Lady Bulldogs’ win.

“It definitely shows that we can keep up the fight,” Salyers said of the late defensive stand.

“When they scored it really brought us down, and we lost some confidence, because 2-1 is one of those games where they have momentum, and they can keep going. So it was a matter of staying mentally tough, and playing our game instead of panicking.”

Between respect for an elite opponent and their own strong final push, the Rams had plenty of positives to take from the 2-1 setback.

“You get the kick of adrenalin,” Hansen said of the comeback. “Unlucky for us that it didn’t fall that way, but they (Batavia) played great. They’re a great team. They played three of our sectional opponents so far, and I think they beat all three of them.

“This was a big game for us. We tried to come out as strong as possible. Last year when we played them they got a quick goal, and we weren’t about to let that happen again. You could tell both teams really wanted it, and it just fell in their favor.

“You could tell we really wanted it towards the end, pushing the ball up,” Hansen added. “That’s how we got the first (goal). We pushed for a second one and just ran out of time, but if you gave us another 10 minutes or so we might have gotten one.”

Said Overbey: “Hats off to Batavia. They’re one of the best teams around. They gave us all we could handle.”

A scoreless first half featured an advantage for Batavia in quality chances, but no breakthroughs.

DiBiase was a threat from the start, with two-straight corner kicks in the first 1:50 of play (the second nicely cleared by Lindsey Novak).

Then in the 21st minute, a DiBiase bid from the run of play (a high 20-yard shot from atop the box) was caught by Rams goalkeeper Faith Davies.

Glenbard East’s Maddie Pusateri nicely broke up a DiBiase left-side chance (off a CeCe Hamann pass) in the 23rd minute. Then 16:50 before halftime, Davies came up big with a one-handed deflection just wide of a Solis header (off an Amber Gotsch cross).

“They’re definitely the best team we’ve faced,” Overbey said of Batavia. “Mark’s teams are always well organized. You saw them move around the ball well. But the midfield did well limiting their touches.

“At the beginning of the game they were trying to find (Gracey) DiBiase up-top, and I thought we did a great job.”

Davies then made saves on two low Anna Holcombe 20-yard shots late in the half with 3:10 and 40 seconds left.

The first half defensive effort continued a season-long trend for the Rams.

“I think we played well defensively,” Hansen said. “All game we played stronger as a team than I think we ever have before this season at least.

“The whole team is defending,” Hansen added. “It starts with the forwards and mids up there, working their way back.

“I think we’ve had 11 shutouts this season, and props to Faith for that too. She’s been a powerhouse in goal. I think that’s something we’re really positive toward. We’re just working on furthering our communication and slotting the ball a little bit better. Once we start getting behind the line and putting shots on, then we’ll get some better outcomes.”

While Batavia’s good outcomes and big extra-effort plays would decide the match, Glenbard East (7-3-2) came out in the second half with revived offensive fire.

Just 30 seconds in, Mimi Camacho’s end line shot was grabbed at the near post by Batavia goalkeeper Turnquist.

Then came an even bigger chance with 33:40 left. After Elizabeth Toledo was fouled, Hansen launched the ensuing 22-yard free kick off the crossbar. An extended rebound battle ended with a Solis clear.

But Batavia was soon back on the attack, capitalizing in a wild sequence with an extra-effort play for a 1-0 lead.

After Holcombe was fouled in the right corner, DiBiase’s free kick was caught by Davies. But on Glenbard East’s bid for a quick transition and counterattack, Batavia was very alert.

“The goalie threw it out, and it was one of those balls where I was skeptical of the other team knowing it,” Salyers said. “Our player Rachel (Polignone) spotted it. She quickly passed it to me, and I kind of turned around, hit it with my left foot into the right corner. I saw the keeper leaning, so I thought ‘Front post is open.’”

After Salyers’ 18-yarder inside the right post put the Lady Bulldogs up 1-0 with 27:53 left, the Rams nearly answered two minutes later. Off a Liljestrand corner kick, Weltin’s 12-yarder in a crowd in front was blocked near the line.

An exchange of chances in the next 12 minutes included Turnquist saves on an Amy Chiero 25-yarder and a Camacho header, and Davies’ stop of a 12-yard Holcomb shot.

“It was pretty even, back and forth,” Hansen said. “It wasn’t like they were dominating us the whole time. We were shoving it down their throats too.”

Then with Batavia still up 1-0, another wild sequence in the box paid off.

First, Davies’ nice reaching block over the end line of a Polignone high 18-yard rocket set up a Batavia corner kick.

Holcombe’s send was blocked by Davies at the near (right) post, but Solis battled for the loose ball and drove a low shot inside the post to up the Lady Bulldogs lead to 2-0 with 10:08 left.

“It was jumbled up (off the corner kick), it came to me,” Solis said. “The front post was open so I hit it with my left and it went right in.”

Solving the Glenbard East defense has been tough for opponents all year. That made Batavia’s ability to turn apparent meat loaf-like chances into filet mignon scores all the more impressive.

“I thought both those goals were kind of off broken plays,” Overbey said. “But they got on the end of those and made us pay for them. That’s why they have one loss all season.

“That’s the fifth and sixth goals we’ve given up all year, so there’s still a lot of positives. It’s a dangerous team, and we’ll learn from it. I was proud of the way we fought back, didn’t give up and continued to grind.”

Batavia’s ability to endure the Rams’ final push added to what has been an impressive spring for a young roster.

“We definitely communicate very well and have a really good bond on and off the field,” Solis said. “We know how to play and where to find each other on the field.

“And we make each other feel comfortable – everyone feels good where they can be confident on the ball. So it allows everyone to make their mark and actually do things instead of being afraid of losing the ball.”

Even in defeat, Glenbard East expects the battle against Batavia to pay off down the road.

“I really enjoy playing harder teams,” Hansen said. “We’re definitely a team that rises to the occasion, so if we play a team better than us we’ll work hard. You know the quote, hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard. We’re definitely the type that will work hard.

“Playing an outstanding team like this (Batavia), one that can pass the ball, slot the ball and really do it all gives us a good opportunity to see what we’ll be up against as we move forward in the season. It’s good to face someone maybe a little better than you that will force you to work hard.”

Batavia’s win adds to the Lady Bulldogs’ growing resume that will should pay off with a strong postseason seed. And for Glenbard East, the memory of the Rams’ 2016 postseason run still burns bright.

“We’ve been working hard,” Hansen said. “You can really see the desire everyone has because we want to go far. A lot of the players on our team were in the group that went to state a couple years back. We just want to build off that.

“Don’t count us out for that. We can come and do it. Why not us? We got a taste, and now we want it again and are going to go for it.”